Perry: Boy Scouts' gay ban a principled stand

"That’s the type of principled leadership, that’s the type of courage that I hope people across this country [have] on this issue of Scouts and keeping the Boy Scouts the kind of organization that it is today."

Sam Houston was removed from the governor's mansion in 1861 after refusing to take an oath of loyalty to the Confederacy, believing strongly in the preservation of the Union. His record on slavery was more checkered; Houston generally opposed abolitionists and did own slaves.

Perry went on to compare the gay rights movement to a "flavor of the month" fad.

“If we change and become more like pop culture, young men will be not as well served, America will not be as well served and Boy Scouts will start on a decline that I don’t think will serve this country well as we go into the future,” Perry said.

A spokesman for the Boy Scouts said last month it may be on the verge of ending its ban on openly gay members.

The organization said it would submit a proposal that would overturn the ban on gay scouts during its National Council meeting May 20 in Texas. The group's 1,400 voting members will then vote on the recommendation.

Deron Smith, a spokesman for the group, told Reuters that under the proposal “no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.”

According to The Associated Press, the Boy Scouts decided to back the change based on the results of surveys sent earlier this year to scouting members.

The group had originally planned to vote on a proposal that would have allowed local troops to decide whether to allow gay scout members in February. Leaders of the organization then said they wanted more time to deliberate the controversial issue, which would have, for the first time in the organization's century-long history, opened the door for gay scouts.

The issue is a particularly contentious one, with the majority of scout troops — 70 percent — in some way affiliated with churches or religious groups. Just last year, the organization voted to uphold the ban, a decision that drew heavy fire from gay rights groups.

President Obama has voiced his support for the overturn of the ban, saying “nobody should be barred” from the opportunities and experiences provided by scouting.

“My attitude is that gays and lesbians should have access and opportunity the same way everybody else does in every institution and walk of life,” Obama said in a CBS News interview. “The Scouts are a great institution that are promoting young people and exposing them to opportunities and leadership that will serve people for the rest of their lives.”